There is no doubt in my mind that all life on Earth is incredible and worthy of our attention and our protection. My research concentrates on tapeworms that live as adults in the intestine of sharks, skates and rays (i.e., elasmobranchs). I study a single genus of tapeworm, <i>Acanthobothrium</i>, which includes ~165 described species. Since the erection of the genus by van Beneden in 1850, <i>Acanthobothrium</i> species have been described worldwide and it is now well established that the genus has a cosmopolitan distribution with the bulk of it’s diversity found equatorially, not surprisingly, where their shark and ray hosts exhibit their greatest diversity. Ongoing global collections and taxonomic efforts (i.e., describing and classifying species) have indicated that we have only just begun to appreciate the diversity of life that exists in this tapeworm genus.

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My research concentrates on parasites of sharks, skates and rays (i.e., elasmobranchs). I study a single genus of tapeworm, <i>Acanthobothrium</i>, which includes ~165 described species. Since the erection of the genus by van Beneden in 1850, <i>Acanthobothrium</i> species have been described worldwide and it is now well established that the genus has a cosmopolitan distribution with the bulk of it’s diversity found equatorially, not surprisingly, where their shark and ray hosts exhibit their greatest diversity. Ongoing global collections and taxonomic efforts (i.e., describing and classifying species) have indicated that we have only just begun to appreciate the diversity of life that exists in this tapeworm genus.

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My goal is to become an expert in the biology of this group. My dissertation includes the description of many species new to science, a re-treatment of a subset of previously described species with inadequate descriptions and an evolutionary hypothesis based on molecular DNA data. I plan to use my taxonomic expertise and evolutionary hypothesis to answer questions regarding character evolution (how has their morphology changed through time), biogeography (how has the geographic location of this group changed through time) and co-evolution (how have <i>Acanthobothrium</i> species evolved with their hosts through time).

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My dissertation includes the description of many species new to science, a re-treatment of a subset of previously described species with inadequate descriptions and an evolutionary hypothesis based on molecular DNA data. I am interested in character evolution (how has the morphology of this group changed through time), biogeography (how has the geographic location of this group changed through time) and co-evolution (how have <i>Acanthobothrium</i> species evolved with their hosts through time).

Research Project: Systematic biology, biogeographic patters and coevolutionary relationships of the elasmobranch tapeworm genus ''Acanthobothrium'' and its close relatives. <br/>

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Research Project: Systematic biology, biogeographic patterns and coevolutionary relationships of the elasmobranch tapeworm genus ''Acanthobothrium'' and its close relatives. <br/>

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[[Image:Sdsulogo2.jpg|130px|right]]

[[Image:Sdsulogo2.jpg|130px|right]]

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[[Image:Joal2004.jpg|300px|left]]

[[Image:Joal2004.jpg|300px|left]]

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In review. Twohig, M. E., J. N. Caira and '''C. A. Fyler'''. Two New Cestode Species from the Dwarf Whipray, ''Himantura walga'' (Batoidea: Dasyatidae), from Borneo with Comments on Site and Mode of Attachment. ''Journal of Parasitology''.<br/>

2009 ''' Fyler, C. A.''', J. N. Caira and K. Jensen. Five new species of ''Acanthobothrium'' (Cestoda: Tetraphyllidea) from an unusual species of ''Himantura'' (Rajiformes: Dasyatidae) from northern Australia. ''Folia Parasitologica''. '''56(2)''': 107-128.<br/>

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<br/>

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2008 Twohig, M. E., J. N. Caira and '''C. A. Fyler'''. Two New Cestode Species from the Dwarf Whipray, ''Himantura walga'' (Batoidea: Dasyatidae), from Borneo with Comments on Site and Mode of Attachment. ''Journal of Parasitology''. '''94(5)''': 1118-1127 <br/>

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2007 '''Fyler, C. A.''' Comparison of Microthrix Ultrastructure and Morphology on the

2007 '''Fyler, C. A.''' Comparison of Microthrix Ultrastructure and Morphology on the

<td>Molecular analysis of <i>Acanthobothrium</i> and its implications for geographic versus host associations as determinates of cestode phylogeny. The First North American Parasitology Congress, Annual meeting of the American Society of Parasitologists. <b>Merida, Mexico</b>. [[Image:AbstractASP2007.pdf]]

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<td>Molecular analysis of <i>Acanthobothrium</i> and its implications for geographic versus host associations as determinates of cestode phylogeny. The First North American Parasitology Congress, Annual meeting of the American Society of Parasitologists. <b>Merida, Mexico</b>. {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/index.php/Image:AbstractASP2007.pdf}}

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<tr><td><b>March 2007</b></td>

<tr><td><b>March 2007</b></td>

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<td>Erection of a new genus: A total evidence approach to cestode systematics. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Research Symposium. University of Connecticut. <b>Storrs, Connecticut</b>. [[Image:AbstractSS2007.pdf]]

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<td>Erection of a new genus: A total evidence approach to cestode systematics. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Research Symposium. University of Connecticut. <b>Storrs, Connecticut</b>. {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/index.php/Image:AbstractSS2007.pdf}}

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<td><b>March 2006</b></td>

<td><b>March 2006</b></td>

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<td>Attachment in challenging environments: Functional morphology of three distinct scolex morphotypes of <i>Acanthobothrium</i>. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Research Symposium. University of Connecticut. <b>Storrs, Connecticut</b>. [[Image:AbstractSS2006.pdf]]

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<td>Attachment in challenging environments: Functional morphology of three distinct scolex morphotypes of <i>Acanthobothrium</i>. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Research Symposium. University of Connecticut. <b>Storrs, Connecticut</b>. {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/index.php/Image:AbstractSS2006.pdf}}

<td>Hanging out in shark guts: An investigation of tapeworm microthrix morphology. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Research Symposium. University of Connecticut. <b>Storrs, Connecticut</b>. [[Image:AbstractSS2005.pdf]]

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<td>Hanging out in shark guts: An investigation of tapeworm microthrix morphology. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Research Symposium. University of Connecticut. <b>Storrs, Connecticut</b>. {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/index.php/Image:AbstractSS2005.pdf}}

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<td><b>July 2004</b></td>

<td><b>July 2004</b></td>

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<td>Investigation of Acanthobothrium (Cestoda: Tetraphyllidea) diversity from two species of Guitarfish (Rhinobatos) off costal Senegal. Seventy-ninth Annual Meeting of the American Society of Parasitologists. <b>Philadelphia, Pennsylvania</b>. [[Image:AbstractASP2004.pdf]]

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<td>Investigation of Acanthobothrium (Cestoda: Tetraphyllidea) diversity from two species of Guitarfish (Rhinobatos) off costal Senegal. Seventy-ninth Annual Meeting of the American Society of Parasitologists. <b>Philadelphia, Pennsylvania</b>. {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/index.php/Image:AbstractASP2004.pdf}}

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<td><b>June 2003</b></td>[[Image:newgenus.jpg|150px|right]]

<td><b>June 2003</b></td>[[Image:newgenus.jpg|150px|right]]

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<td>Molecular Phylogeny of Monachine Seals with Implications for their Origin and Diversification. Evolution 2003. Joint Meeting: The Society for the Study of Evolution, The American Society of Naturalists, and The Society for Systematic Biologists. California State University. <b>Chico, California</b>. [[Image:AbstractEvolution2003.pdf]]

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<td>Molecular Phylogeny of Monachine Seals with Implications for their Origin and Diversification. Evolution 2003. Joint Meeting: The Society for the Study of Evolution, The American Society of Naturalists, and The Society for Systematic Biologists. California State University. <b>Chico, California</b>. {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/index.php/Image:AbstractEvolution2003.pdf}}

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<td><b>August 2006</b></td>[[Image:Florida_2007.JPG|250px|left]]

<td><b>August 2006</b></td>[[Image:Florida_2007.JPG|250px|left]]

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<td>Morphology and Attachment of Three Distinct Scolex Morphotypes of Acanthobothrium (Tetraphyllidea:Onchobothriidae) from the Roughtail Stingray (Dasyatis centroura). 11th International Congress of Parasitology (ICOPA) hosted by the British Society for Parasitology. <b>Glasgow, Scotland</b>.

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<td>Morphology and Attachment of Three Distinct Scolex Morphotypes of <i>Acanthobothrium</i> (Tetraphyllidea:Onchobothriidae) from the Roughtail Stingray (Dasyatis centroura). 11th International Congress of Parasitology (ICOPA) hosted by the British Society for Parasitology. <b>Glasgow, Scotland</b>.

Contents

Research Interests

My research concentrates on parasites of sharks, skates and rays (i.e., elasmobranchs). I study a single genus of tapeworm, Acanthobothrium, which includes ~165 described species. Since the erection of the genus by van Beneden in 1850, Acanthobothrium species have been described worldwide and it is now well established that the genus has a cosmopolitan distribution with the bulk of it’s diversity found equatorially, not surprisingly, where their shark and ray hosts exhibit their greatest diversity. Ongoing global collections and taxonomic efforts (i.e., describing and classifying species) have indicated that we have only just begun to appreciate the diversity of life that exists in this tapeworm genus.

My dissertation includes the description of many species new to science, a re-treatment of a subset of previously described species with inadequate descriptions and an evolutionary hypothesis based on molecular DNA data. I am interested in character evolution (how has the morphology of this group changed through time), biogeography (how has the geographic location of this group changed through time) and co-evolution (how have Acanthobothrium species evolved with their hosts through time).

2009 Fyler, C. A., J. N. Caira and K. Jensen. Five new species of Acanthobothrium (Cestoda: Tetraphyllidea) from an unusual species of Himantura (Rajiformes: Dasyatidae) from northern Australia. Folia Parasitologica. 56(2): 107-128.

2008 Twohig, M. E., J. N. Caira and C. A. Fyler. Two New Cestode Species from the Dwarf Whipray, Himantura walga (Batoidea: Dasyatidae), from Borneo with Comments on Site and Mode of Attachment. Journal of Parasitology. 94(5): 1118-1127

Talks Presented

June 2007

Molecular analysis of Acanthobothrium and its implications for geographic versus host associations as determinates of cestode phylogeny. The First North American Parasitology Congress, Annual meeting of the American Society of Parasitologists. Merida, Mexico.

March 2007

Erection of a new genus: A total evidence approach to cestode systematics. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Research Symposium. University of Connecticut. Storrs, Connecticut.

March 2006

Attachment in challenging environments: Functional morphology of three distinct scolex morphotypes of Acanthobothrium. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Research Symposium. University of Connecticut. Storrs, Connecticut.

July 2005

A comparison of scolex mircothrix morphology between the plerocercoid and adult of Calliobothrium cf. verticillatum (Tetraphyllidea: Onchobothriidae). 5th International Workshop on Cestode Systematics and Phylogeny. Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences. Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.

March 2005

Hanging out in shark guts: An investigation of tapeworm microthrix morphology. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Research Symposium. University of Connecticut. Storrs, Connecticut.

July 2004

Investigation of Acanthobothrium (Cestoda: Tetraphyllidea) diversity from two species of Guitarfish (Rhinobatos) off costal Senegal. Seventy-ninth Annual Meeting of the American Society of Parasitologists. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

June 2003

Molecular Phylogeny of Monachine Seals with Implications for their Origin and Diversification. Evolution 2003. Joint Meeting: The Society for the Study of Evolution, The American Society of Naturalists, and The Society for Systematic Biologists. California State University. Chico, California.

Posters Presented

August 2006

Morphology and Attachment of Three Distinct Scolex Morphotypes of Acanthobothrium (Tetraphyllidea:Onchobothriidae) from the Roughtail Stingray (Dasyatis centroura). 11th International Congress of Parasitology (ICOPA) hosted by the British Society for Parasitology. Glasgow, Scotland.

August 2002

Molecular Phylogeny of Monk Seals. Evolution 2002. Joint Meeting: The Society for the Study of Evolution, The American Society of Naturalists, and The Society for Systematic Biologists. Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.

Field Work

January 2008
Puerto Montt, Chile. Assisted in the collection of tapeworms of sharks and rays off the coast of southern Chile. Field sites included Puerto Montt and Penguin Land (Chiloe Island)

October 2006
Gulf Coast, USA. Assisted in the collection of tapeworms of sharks and rays in the Gulf Coast.

January 2005 Senegal, Africa. Assisted in the collection of tapeworms of sharks and rays off the coast of Senegal. Field sites included St. Louis, Ouakam, Soumbedioune, Mbour, Joal and Djjifer, Diogue, Elinkine and Kafountine.

January 2004 Senegal, Africa. Assisted in the collection of tapeworms of sharks and rays off the coast of Senegal. Field sites included St. Louis, Ouakam, Soumbedioune, Mbour, Joal and Djjifer.